


Mama Bear

by SamCyberCat



Category: Free!
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-18
Updated: 2018-12-18
Packaged: 2019-09-22 06:29:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 762
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17054900
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SamCyberCat/pseuds/SamCyberCat
Summary: Trying to hurt Ayumu while Gou is in the immediate area is definitely a mistake you won't make twice.





	Mama Bear

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Day 3 “Management” of Gou Week 2018. Though I kind of went off-topic because I just wanted to write some friendship for my two favourite managers, Gou and Ayumu.

Gou ran through the crowded street as fast as her legs could carry her, hair whipping behind her and feet stamping hard against the wet pavement. She knew that coming to Roppongi at night had been a mistake, she knew that letting everyone wander off on their own was a mistake.

Usually, Gou tried to be polite, but as she shoved through the people passing her, she had no regard for them. She didn't even stop to apologise when people called after her. Although in her current mood, she'd have been more likely to make a sharp retort. Why wasn't anyone helpful here? Couldn't they see how panicked she was?

Not a moment too soon, she rounded onto the alley that she'd just seen Ayumu be dragged into from the other end of the street. Maybe Ayumu was only two years younger than her, but in Gou's eyes, she was still a child. And no matter who she was, no one deserved to be man-handled in such a way – let alone one of Gou's friends.

“Get off her!”

Gou yelled this at the top of her lungs. But the man was twice her height and he wasn't deterred. He sneered and turned his back on her, keeping tight hold of Ayumu's arms. That turned out to be a mistake.

Before Gou knew what she was doing, she'd grabbed hold of a nearby bicycle that someone had left and pushed it right into the man with all her might. He cried out in pain, letting go of Ayumu as they both toppled over.

“Ayumu, run!” Gou called.

But Ayumu was frozen in fear. Gou had never seen her like this – honestly, Ayumu wasn't the most expressive person in the world. But right now her eye were wide and she was shivering all over.

The guy turned to Gou.

“What do you think you're doing? Crazy bitch!”

_“I'll show you crazy!”_

They said that adrenaline gave you a burst of strength. Or perhaps spending so much time with Isuzu was paying off. Gou didn't know the answer, but she knew that she didn't let up as he went for him. All she could see was someone who'd tried to hurt Ayumu. Someone who needed to be stopped. She kicked out at him, she punched at him, she yelled so loudly that she could not be ignored.

Which turned out to be a saving grace, because it meant that people on the main street couldn't just walk past them. While Gou was still wrestling the guy away from Ayumu, a crowd formed. A police officer came. Several of them, in fact.

“What's going on here?”

“Get her off me!”

“He took my friend! He was going to... he was going to...”

Gou looked at Ayumu, tiny and shaking, and she didn't want to say what he was going to do. Not while Ayumu could hear.

So instead, Gou stepped down, letting the police do their work. They had questions to ask, but now that the moment was gone, Gou was at a loss for words. She swallowed back tears, shaking her head when she was asked to come into the station.

“Please... we just want to get back to our hotel. Our friends are waiting there...”

She shakily made her way across to Ayumu, who'd barely moved a muscle the whole time.

“Are you all right...?” Gou asked.

Ayumu nodded silently. Then she surged forward and wrapped her arms around Gou. The hug was returned, Gou almost lifting Ayumu off the ground in her effort to hold her, since Ayumu was so tiny.

“You're safe now... He won't do anything to you...” Gou whispered.

“...I was so scared...” Ayumu managed to say.

It hurt Gou so much. Ayumu was usually so unshakable. Gou had never thought of her as being vulnerable before, but in this situation, she really saw how vulnerable she was. How much she'd needed Gou to protect her. Gou reached a hand up to stroke through Ayumu's cropped hair.

“We'll be going back to Iwatobi tomorrow... The others are going to come get us, okay? I'll call Rei now and he'll come find us,” she soothed.

She felt Ayumu nod against her chest. Then her small voice spoke up again.

“Will you stay with me...?”

Gou smiled softly.

“Of course. Until I'm sure you're safe...”

With that, she pulled away, taking off her jacket and wrapping it around Ayumu's shoulders. The two of them walked together out of the alley and back onto the main street – into the safety and the light.


End file.
